White top Mtn Rd, VA -northbound mile 488

This post is from April 19, 2015.  The GPS data from today's hike can be found at:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/753337029

I left Damascus at 9am in a light rain which turned into a downpour all afternoon and continuing now. I just got a flash flood warning in my tent via an AT&T emergency signal even though my phone says no service. With the roaring wind and the emergency warnings beeping on my phone this is a bit scary! Because I wanted to leave no more than 20 miles for tomorrow for my rendezvous with my shuttle to the airport at 6 I needed to make it 21 miles to this tent site despite the bad weather. Unfortunately here is at 5200 feet and the rain is worse up here and it is colder and windier. Also some of my clothes and sleeping bag got a little wet. I am OK in my tent but we will have to see about tomorrow's weather.

I wanted to make a note of some of the new trail names that I have come across in the past few days one was a man from Pennsylvania called PROUDFOOT. Yesterday I met a pair of women from Ottawa one was called UNHINGED and the other was EVERREADY.   Interestingly, late in my day yesterday I came across them again huddling under a tree in the freezing rain and wind. They were waiting for UNHINGED's husband to pick them up as they had  been slack packing from Damascus. He was over 1 1/2 hours late. As I was helping them he finally arrived so the day was saved and I continued on the 2000 ' ascent in the driving rain.